Where Are We Headed?

Harvard’s recent announcement that they accepted the fewest number of early applicants since 1994 confirms what students and counselors across the country have been talking about. One counselor referred to the “early decision/early action massacre” to describe the large number of students who were deferred or denied admission at many selective colleges.

It’s too soon to know whether we are seeing the start of a trend toward fewer early acceptances, but with increases predicted in the number of students applying to college this year and for the next several years, some admissions directors have said they want to be sure they have space for the strong students who will be applying later in the admissions cycle.

These early results have sent many students into a panic. The fear that they might not get into any college is one reason some students are applying to huge numbers of schools. A high school counselor in New York reports that one of her students is applying to 47 colleges. Another counselor has a student who turned in 28 applications. If this is the beginning of a trend, it’s not a healthy one.

If students start routinely applying to 30 or 40 schools, it will be more difficult for admissions officers to discern whether the applications they receive are serious. Will students who now visit their top four or five schools to demonstrate their interest start trying to convince admissions officers at 20 colleges that their school is No. 1 on the list?

Or will students just apply to dozens of schools without knowing much about them?

Students who plan to research and visit schools after they’re accepted could end up with less than a month to decide which of 15 colleges to attend. This “cover every base” approach to college applications is also a tremendous burden on high school faculty and staff, who have to write recommendation letters and send out required forms and transcripts.

Some admissions officers engage in practices that contribute to the problem. One reason students are applying to so many colleges without researching the schools to make sure they’re good matches is that many of these schools invite them to apply and waive the application fee if they apply online.

Generating a lot of applications is more work for admissions staffs, but there are a number of payoffs. They want to encourage applications from good students who are not familiar with their college and could end up attending. They also might target students based on demographic needs, encouraging more men to apply if their student body is heavily female, or seeking ethnic, geographic or other types of diversity.

But the truth is some colleges want to increase the number of applications so they can reject more students and therefore look more selective. This unethical practice leads students to get their hopes up when they are “invited” to apply, and they may be less motivated to apply to schools that are more realistic prospects.

No wonder students and parents feel overwhelmed and confused. I always have mixed feelings about discussing the increasing competition for admission. I don’t want to encourage students to act out of fear, but I think it’s important to go into this process with as much knowledge as possible.

My nightmare scenario is that, come April, a student hasn’t been accepted by any college. That’s never happened to any of my students, because I’d rather give them the realistic if sometimes painful picture early enough that we can make sure to include schools that are both great matches and also attainable.

The college admissions process can be anxiety-producing, but applying to schools out of panic is not the best solution. With careful planning and research, all students can have terrific college choices.

Audrey Kahane, MS, is an independent college admissions counselor in West Hills. She can be reached at (818) 704-7545 or audreykahane@earthlink.net.